


Blushing Blue

by StarbrightAngel



Series: Connor and Evelyn [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Adorable Connor, Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), F/M, Family, First Crush, First Kiss, First Relationship, Fluff, Parent Hank Anderson, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-22
Updated: 2019-03-22
Packaged: 2019-11-27 11:04:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18193745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarbrightAngel/pseuds/StarbrightAngel
Summary: Connor receives his first kiss.





	1. Evelyn's POV

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted from Fanfiction.net and Wattpad.

            "Connor?"

            The detective android turned towards the sound of his name, his face neutral and blank, as it often was. "Detective Evelyn. Good afternoon."

            "Connor, call me Detective Evelyn instead of Eve one more time and I'm going to strangle you with your own tie."

            That made the side of Connor's mouth twitch in a small smile, breaking his look of stoicism. His chocolate-brown eyes warmed.

            Eve approached him, rubbing her arms with mittened hands, her breath clouding in the frigid air. She'd just clocked out and was leaving for home when she spotted the android standing in the snow, gazing off into space. His hands were tucked neatly behind his back, his posture straight and perfect, as always.

            "I did cease in calling you Detective _Long_ , like you asked," Connor replied, with that faint smile still on his lips, a hint of amusement in his voice. "It's informal enough calling you by your first name."

            "Yeah, yeah. You're uptight even for an android, you know that?" Eve stopped a few feet in front of him, looking him up and down. "The hell are you doing standing out in the cold?"

            There were snow crystals clinging to his hair, his jacket, even his eyelashes. It made her cringe, even though she knew he couldn't feel the cold. Even with his LED, the glowing armband and his model number displayed in bold white letters across his jacket, he just looked so incredibly human, it made her shiver seeing him covered in snow.

            "I'm waiting for Lieutenant Anderson. He took sick leave today, and although I informed him it'd likely be faster for me to simply call a cab, he insisted on picking me up from work."

            Eve blinked. "That doesn't explain why you're standing out here."

            "...Androids don't get cold, Detective. There's no reason why I should wait inside. It's much less of a hassle if I simply wait out here and watch for his car, rather than forcing him to park and come inside to collect me." Connor reached up with his right hand, straightening his tie. "Besides... I enjoy the snow."

            Evelyn didn't fail to notice the hesitance in Connor's voice in that last comment. Connor had been deviant for several months now, but he was still a tad awkward when it came to admitting that he did in fact have his own opinions and emotions. And really, she couldn't blame him—it had been etched into every line of his programming that he was nothing but a machine, a tool at humanity's disposal with no wants or desires.

            He'd told her his story once, in the break room over a mug of coffee, the path of trials and tribulations that had finally led to his deviancy, his discovering who he truly was. Eve had heard many androids tell the story of how they'd become deviant, but Connor's was by far the most intricate. Most androids told her of a single event that had caused them to 'snap', something that had suddenly pushed them over the edge and caused them to break their programming.

            But for Connor—there was no single event, no breaking point, no sudden change. Connor had learned to become human over a period of time, each day questioning more and more if he really was just a machine. Perhaps it was his advanced programming that led to his long road of identity crisis, or perhaps it was just because he was Connor. Either way... he was extraordinary.

            "Well, as long as you won't malfunction from your machinery freezing up or something." Eve closed the distance between them, moving so she was standing at his side, gazing forward at the falling snow with him. "Winter _is_ a beautiful season. I like watching the snow, too. Usually from behind my bedroom window, but to each their own."

            Connor's small smile of amusement returned. But only for a moment, before his eyes shifted from the snowfall to Evelyn and took in the way that she was shivering.

            "Detective, were you heading home?"

            "Yeah, my shift just ended."

            "Don't let me keep you. I'm perfectly content to wait on my own for the Lieutenant to arrive. You really don't need to keep me company, especially not in this weather."

            Eve chuckled softly at him. "Maybe I just like talking to you, Connor. Ever thought of that?" She lifted a shoulder. "I'm fine, really. It's not that cold out."

            Connor watched her for a moment longer, brow slightly furrowed in concern, before looking forward again. She did the same, and there was a long moment of silence between the human and the android, as they watched the snow collect on the grass, on the barren branches of trees, on the tops of cars in the parking lot. And then suddenly Eve was encased in warmth.

            She looked up in surprise, then looked down, seeing Connor's jacket draped around her shoulders. It left him in nothing but his white button-up and tie, and she almost protested before remembering again that he couldn't get cold.

            "If you're going to insist on remaining out here, you should put that on. Your jacket is made of 100% cotton. Cotton is not an insulating material, so there is a lot of heat leaving your body."

            Speechless for a moment, Eve reached up to tug the jacket tighter around her. She was incredibly surprised by the heat radiating from it, and even more surprised by the faint scent it enveloped her in. She couldn't quite explain it. It was something manufactured, something sweet like honey, and something distinctly musky and masculine.

            "Connor, this jacket is warm."

            "Sorry?"

            "Your jacket, it's warm. Androids don't have temperatures."

            "Oh." Connor looked forward again, eyes thoughtful and distant. "Androids have a thermal regulator that keeps them from overheating. It's the same biocomponent that regulates the body temperature of YK models."

            "YK?"

            "Child models," Connor clarified. "Currently, my thermal regulator is compensating for the frigid conditions of my environment and raising my core temperature to ensure that the Thirium in my lines don't freeze."

            "So you ARE affected by the cold!" Eve shouted, whirling around and pointing a dramatically accusing finger at Connor's chest.

            "...Technically, yes. But I don't feel anything."

            "Still! You're affected! It's making your thermal thing act weird!"

            "This is a perfectly normal response to the changing environment. Androids are programmed to be able to adapt to a variety of cirumstan—?!"

            Connor stopped mid-sentence as suddenly Eve pressed close against his side, arms wrapped around his torso. His LED blinked yellow.

            "Detective?"

            "Hey, you gave me your jacket to keep me warm, so let me keep you warm. Sharing body heat helps."

            "....That's entirely unnecessary, Detective. I'm not in any sort of danger."

            "Too bad. I'm going to help you stay warm anyway."

            Okay, so maybe Eve wasn't actually doing this to keep him warm. She believed him when he said he was fine. But that wasn't going to stop her from using the situation as an excuse to get close to him.

            In complete and total honesty, Connor was _attractive._ All androids were; they were created to look young, healthy and beautiful, with perfectly symmetrical faces and flawless skin. But Eve had never found another android attractive in the way that she found Connor attractive, with his soft face, warm chocolate eyes and adorable little freckles.

            But it was more than that. Much more than that.

            Connor was quiet, introspective and soft-spoken. Connor was gentle, caring and empathetic. Connor was brave, determined and capable. Connor was _badass,_ and yet somehow innocent and naïve at the same time. Connor was everything _right_ in a human being, and he wasn't even human.

            So, sue her for wanting to cuddle up to him.

            His LED finally cycled back to a calm blue. "...If you insist. At least my elevated temperature will help you as well. Cooler temperatures cause a more sluggish immune system response and a higher susceptibility to infection. I don't want you to get sick."

            "Connor, you can be a real mother hen sometimes."

            "A... what?"

            Eve snorted. "Never mind." Connor may have been programmed to work harmoniously with humans, but that didn't mean his social relations program was perfect. For a machine that could probably kill her in an instant (she'd worked with Connor on an investigation once before, and she'd seen him take down an aggressive Red Ice addict in less time than it took her to blink), he really was amazingly naïve.

            There was another peaceful moment of silence between them, as Evelyn rested against his side, and a pair of hesitant arms slowly wrapped around her to keep her warmer. Being this close to him, the scent that she'd caught on his jacket was stronger now, and as she breathed him in, a feeling of tranquility washed over her.

            "Lieutenant Anderson should have been here by now..." Connor murmured. "The snow and ice on the roads are probably slowing him down."

            Eve tilted her head a little, glancing up at him. "You live with him, don't you?"

            "With the Lieutenant? Yes, I do. He offered to take me in as property rights for androids are still being worked out."

            "Can I ask you something, Connor?"

            "Of course."

            "Why do you still call Hank _Lieutenant Anderson?_ I understand more why you call me _Detective,_ but isn't he, like, your dad? I hear him callin' you _son._ "

            Connor's LED cycled yellow for a split second, and for a moment she regretted asking. She hadn't meant to make him feel bad.

            But his voice was calm and reflective when he replied. "I suppose... it's about respect. I respect him greatly. If it wasn't for him, I may not have ever deviated. He helped me see that androids are living beings." His eyelids lowered. "He helped me see that _I_ am a living being."

            "I haven't been at this precinct for long," Eve said, "but I've heard about his vehement hatred of androids. You've gotta be really special, Connor, to change someone in such a drastic way."

            Connor blinked. If Eve didn't know better, she would've said he looked _embarrassed._

            "Lieutenant Anderson was... hurting," he said quietly. "Hurting for so many years. He never truly hated androids, not in the way that other people do. He simply didn't understand. He didn't know. And when the revolution began, it showed him that androids weren't worth the hatred he was harboring for them." Connor slowly looked up at the sky. "Lieutenant Anderson is a great man. Regardless of whether or not I was his partner, he would've come around."

            "Would've come around enough to let an android into his home? To treat an android like his son?"

            Connor hesitated.

            "Maybe the revolution did help change his perspective. But you being his partner made it so much more personal. You showed him firsthand how human you really are. Hank doesn't just tolerate androids now. He sees them as equals. And that's because of you." Eve rested her head on his shoulder. "You did that, Connor."

            "...Detective..."

            Connor was giving her such a soft, gentle look, eyes like melted chocolate, looking equal parts uncertain and touched. It made her heart skip. Why did he have to be so goddamn good-looking?

            "...I really like you, Connor."

            Eve found herself saying the words before she even realized she was speaking. She felt a blush rise to her face, blinking rapidly in sudden embarrassment. The fact that his expression didn't change at all, besides a slight lift of his eyebrow, didn't help her nerves.

            Well, she couldn't back down now.

            "You're more empathetic than a lot of humans I know," she continued. "I hope you don't ever doubt again that you're more than a machine. You have a soul, and it's one of the most beautiful souls I've ever met."

            "I... like you too, Detective Evelyn," Connor said slowly, sounding perturbed, brows furrowed deeply. His LED was flashing yellow again. "A lot. But... you didn't have to tell me that. I could always tell that you're genuinely accepting of androids—accepting of _me._ And I appreciate that. I... really do."

            For a moment, Eve was just as confused as Connor. And then she realized.

            _That's_ why his expression didn't change. He didn't realize what she meant. Connor was still struggling to comprehend human emotions, of course he wouldn't recognize that she didn't mean like as in _like,_ but like as in _I'm romantically interested in you._

            Trying to explain it to him might take awhile, and Hank would be here to pick him up soon. But there was another way that would almost certainly get her point across immediately.

            _I'm insane,_ Evelyn thought to herself.

            And then she stood on her toes and kissed him.

            She was startled by how _real_ his lips felt. His synthetic skin didn't feel synthetic at all. It was soft and lifelike, and especially with his heightened temperature, the feeling of kissing Connor was indistinguishable from the feeling of kissing any human man. Physically, at least. Emotionally, she didn't think she'd ever had this many butterflies before.

            Unbeknownst to Eve, Connor's LED had cycled from yellow to red, and he stood frozen, staring at her with wide eyes.

            The lack of response from him made her pull back sooner than she would have otherwise, suddenly worried that she was making him horribly uncomfortable. Seeing his LED flashing bright red didn't help, either. She reached up and rubbed the back of her neck, giving him a sheepish grin.

            "Did you just kiss me?" Connor said finally.

            Instantly, any worry or nerves Eve had been feeling disintegrated, leaving only warmth and fondness as she burst into laughter. Only Connor would respond to getting kissed like that.

            "Yeah, Connor. I kissed you."

            The android was silent, blinking once, twice, three times. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, his brows knitting together. His red LED blinked faster.

            "Connor," Eve said, a serious look falling over her expression. Her voice was soft, reassuring. "If you don't feel the same way, you can just say—"

            "No!" he cut her off abruptly, surprising her. "No, that's—that's not it. I... I just..." He faltered, grimacing at himself, and then she noticed that his face appeared to be discolored. For a moment she was worried, gazing at the odd bluish color spread across his cheeks and over the bridge of his nose. Then it hit her.

            "Are you blushing?" she asked, grinning in spite of herself.

            "N—no," he said almost defensively, and the blue hue grew more vivid, confirming her suspicions. Even the tips of his ears were turning blue. It was the single most precious thing she'd ever seen.

            "Androids blush blue! I didn't know that. It makes sense though, since your blood is blue."

            "I'm not blushing!"

            "You are too."

            "A-androids can't blush."

            "You're a dirty liar."

            Connor's mouth opened and closed rapidly, and she couldn't help but laugh again, grabbing her sides as a fit of giggles overtook her. _Connor . exe has stopped working,_ her stupid brain supplied, and then she was laughing so hard she nearly fell over.

            "Detective," Connor said in a scolding tone, and she could only label the look on his face as a _pout._

            "Sorry," Eve snorted, giggling behind her hand. "Not really sorry. You're adorable, Connor."

            He sighed at that, clearly flustered, and reached up to straighten his tie once more, then adjusted the ends of his sleeves. Finally, he made eye contact again, still flushed a vibrant blue. His LED had reverted back to yellow, at least.

            "Can I..." He hesitated. "...Can I kiss you back?"

            Well. She wasn't expecting that. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it wasn't that.

            "Obviously, you idiot." Eve grabbed his tie, leaning up towards his face. "Go ahead."

            Connor's LED cycled red again for a moment as he slowly leaned in, before returning to yellow. She had a feeling that this was the most amount of emotion he'd ever had to process since becoming a deviant.

            Moving so slowly, so very hesitant, his eyes finally closed as their lips met again. She let out a sigh against his mouth, reaching up to cup the side of his face, her thumb stroking over his cheek. She felt his hands rest cautiously on her shoulders, and it made her heart race, how incredibly gentle he was. Androids were so much stronger than humans, she was sure he could shatter her arm just by squeezing it, and here he was, touching her as if she were a porcelain doll.

            Eve wasn't sure how long they stood there, kissing in the snow. It could have been hours for all she knew. But of course, all good things must come to an end, and at some point she found Connor drawing away from her. She opened her eyes. He opened his. She noticed suddenly that his LED was blue again.

            He still seemed to be at a loss for words, mouth opening and closing yet again as he failed to speak. She really would've thought he was malfunctioning if she didn't know better.

            "So," Eve spoke finally, "should I write my number down for you, or will you store it in your memory if I just say it out loud?"

            That made Connor grin. _Really_ grin, not a small little smile at the corner of his lip. It was gorgeous.

            "Eve, you're... the most extraordinary human I've ever met. Human _or_ android, for that matter."

            Eve chuckled and pressed her forehead to his. She didn't miss how he'd used her nickname and dropped the _Detective_. "I feel the same way about you, you adorable dork."

            "I'll admit I don't understand what you're finding 'adorable' about me, but I guess that doesn't matter."

            "You can be such a smartass sometimes."

            "Not the first time I've been told that."

            "Hey!" A familiar voice carried suddenly through the parking lot, causing both the android and the human to turn and look. "You lovebirds done yet?"

            "L-Lieutenant," Connor spluttered, and Eve was pretty sure his processors completely stalled for a moment. The yellow LED was back. "How... how long have you been here?"

            "Like ten minutes." Hank approached the duo, a knowing smirk on his lips. "Didn't want to interrupt you, you two looked so damn cozy huddled up together. Buuuut, if you're done makin' out, we really oughta get home before the roads get any worse."

            Eve thought the blue on Connor's face was vibrant before; that was nothing compared to how hard he was blushing now.

            "I—uh—yes, Lieutenant. H-have a good evening, Detective Evelyn." Absolutely flabbergasted, the android awkwardly turned to start towards Hank's car, clearing his throat and straightening his tie one last time.

            "Connor, wait!" Eve called.

            He turned around with a questioning look.

            "335-6582," she said, grinning.

            The corner of Connor's mouth curved. "Got it." Slowly, he lifted a hand in farewell, that soft little smile still on his face. Then, he turned back around and began crossing the parking lot, Hank following after him with a wave of his own.

            Eve watched them leave, smiling after them both. When the car doors slammed shut, the vehicle beginning to back out of its parking space, Eve covered her face and screamed quietly into her hands.

            _I JUST FUCKING KISSED CONNOR._


	2. Connor's POV

            "Connor?"

            The android perked to attention as his audio processor picked up on a familiar voice. Turning, he watched as Detective Evelyn Long descended the front steps of the precinct and trotted over towards where Connor was standing near the curb of the parking lot.

            "Detective Evelyn. Good afternoon," he greeted, inclining his head. He wasn't surprised when she scowled at him.

            "Connor, call me Detective Evelyn instead of Eve one more time and I'm going to strangle you with your own tie."

            Connor felt the edge of his mouth curve in amusement. As tough as Eve liked to act, Connor knew full well that she was actually about as aggressive as a bunny.

            He gave her a brief once-over with his eyes as she came to a stop in front of him. Eve was one of the most beautiful humans he'd ever encountered. Her hair, currently tucked up under a wool hat, was a shade of platinum-blonde nearly as white as the snow blanketing the world around them, and her eyes were a strikingly bright blue. She had a soft, heart-shaped face and smooth ivory skin, full lips and a small button nose.

            But what Connor loved most about her appearance was the fact that her nose was just a little crooked. That was something you'd never see in an android, and Connor found himself endlessly fascinated by the imperfections that made a human _human._ Nature wasn't perfect, and that slightly crooked nose was representative of everything Connor wanted to be. Human.

            "I did cease in calling you Detective _Long_ , like you asked," he pointed out, unable to help the hint of teasing in his tone. "It's informal enough calling you by your first name."

            "Yeah, yeah. You're uptight even for an android, you know that?" Now it was her turn to look him over, a puzzled look overtaking her features. "The hell are you doing standing out in the cold?"

            "I'm waiting for Lieutenant Anderson," Connor explained. "He took sick leave today, and although I informed him it'd likely be faster for me to simply call a cab, he insisted on picking me up from work."

            Connor practically had to force Hank to stay home today, not because the older man was a diligent and dedicated worker (don't make him laugh), but because Hank was just too _stubborn_ to admit he was sick. He'd told Connor "I'm fine" a total of thirteen times that morning, but Connor had noticed him sweating, and recorded a temperature of 101.8 when he performed a scan _("stop analyzing me, you fuckin' android")_. Luckily, Connor was equally as stubborn as the police lieutenant.

            His response didn't lessen the bemused look on her features. "That doesn't explain why you're standing out here," she said pointedly.

            "...Androids don't get cold, Detective," he replied slowly. That was another thing Connor found fascinating: how easily humans forgot that androids didn't have the same needs, the same weaknesses. "There's no reason why I should wait inside. It's much less of a hassle if I simply wait out here and watch for his car, rather than forcing him to park and come inside to collect me."

            One hand came up instinctively to straighten his tie, as he paused before adding his next sentence. It was becoming a nervous habit, as much as he hated to admit it. "Besides... I enjoy the snow."

            It was extremely strange, still, voicing his opinions to others. He'd never done so prior to his deviancy, besides when he was trying to befriend Hank. And Connor _had_ meant what he'd said then; he did like dogs (moreso the smaller ones...) and he did enjoy the way heavy metal was full of energy. But he hadn't said it just to say it--there was always a purpose behind it. Namely, attempting to relate to Hank, to get along better with him.

            He could tell himself that he was simply completing one of his objectives, _Get to Know Hank,_ so the investigation could proceed more smoothly, and so he had a better chance of accomplishing his mission.

            Now, Connor couldn't hide behind that veil of denial. Connor had no mission anymore. His current objective-- _Wait for Hank_ \--was put in place solely by his own free will, and he could change it at any time. And Eve had nothing to do with that objective. He told her he liked snow because... he just did. He truly had his own opinions. That thought was still a little scary, and at the same time invigorating.

            "Well, as long as you won't malfunction from your machinery freezing up or something," Eve remarked. Connor watched her with his coffee-colored eyes, as she moved forward and stood at his side, instead of facing him like she had been. "Winter _is_ a beautiful season. I like watching the snow, too. Usually from behind my bedroom window, but to each their own."

            He gave her another one of his Connor smiles, the subtle upwards curve of his mouth. It wasn't cold or standoffish in any way; genuine amusement twinkled in his eyes, warmth etched into every line of his face.

            At least, until he began to notice the way that she'd started shivering, her hands coming up to rub her arms. He scanned her silently and instantaneously: 97.9 degrees Fahrenheit, a normal body temperature for an adult, and he detected no reduced blood circulation. Diagnosis: no signs of early-stage hypothermia.

            "Detective, were you heading home?"

            "Yeah, my shift just ended."

            "Don't let me keep you," he insisted, hoping she didn't think he was lonely or bored, waiting for his ride. "I'm perfectly content to wait on my own for the Lieutenant to arrive. You really don't need to keep me company, especially not in this weather."

            To his surprise, Eve chuckled. She had a fond look in her eyes, a look that caused an odd squeezing sensation in his chest. "Maybe I just like talking to you, Connor. Ever thought of that?"

            He hadn't, exactly. He did have frequent conversations with Evelyn, but she'd never went really out of her way to talk to him. They'd often chat over their lunch break, gossip in the mornings as Eve grabbed herself a coffee, and more than once Connor recalled her stopping on her way past his desk to say hello and ask how he was doing. But, then, if she hadn't wanted to talk with him, why not just keep walking? Why not talk with someone else who happened to be eating their lunch in the break room?

            Eve went on, "I'm fine, really. It's not that cold out," and gave him a reassuring smile.

            Connor wasn't entirely convinced, but he dropped the subject, turning to face forward again. He kept an eye on her, though, out of the corner of his visual field, and although her condition wasn't getting any worse, her shivering wasn't letting up, either. It was odd; to his knowledge, humans didn't usually like being uncomfortable. But Eve didn't seem to mind it much at all. She was simply... watching the snow fall, looking perfectly content.

            He ran a quick scan of her clothes, and though she was pretty decently wrapped up in her hat, mittens, thick jeans and winter boots, he noted that the jacket she was wearing was made of cotton. That was allowing a lot of her body heat to escape.  


_ PRIMARY OBJECTIVE _ _: WAIT FOR HANK_

 _ SECONDARY OBJECTIVE _ _: KEEP EVE WARM_

 _→_ _GIVE EVE JACKET_  


Connor silently shrugged off his RK800 model jacket, and reached over, draping it around the human's shoulders. Eve started, visibly taken off guard as her eyes flicked down to his jacket, then up to his face, a question in her gaze.

            "If you're going to insist on remaining out here, you should put that on," he said in explanation. "Your jacket is made of 100% cotton. Cotton is not an insulating material, so there is a lot of heat leaving your body."

            Evelyn didn't say anything for a long moment. For reasons that Connor couldn't understand, she still looked deeply surprised, though she did reach up to tug the jacket tighter around her body. He watched her curiously.

            "Connor, this jacket is warm."

            The android blinked. "Sorry?"

            "Your jacket, it's warm," Eve elucidated. "Androids don't have temperatures."

            "Oh." He looked away, running a quick self-diagnostic, and confirmed that his thermal regulator was in fact heating his body. "Androids have a thermal regulator that keeps them from overheating. It's the same biocomponent that regulates the body temperature of YK models."

            "YK?"

            "Child models. Currently, my thermal regulator is compensating for the frigid conditions of my environment and raising my core temperature to ensure that the Thirium in my lines don't freeze."

            Connor waited for her to nod her head in understanding, and return to watching the snow. Instead, she spun around and shoved her index finger at his chest, something he hadn't been expecting in the slightest.

            "So you ARE affected by the cold!" she cried, accusation in her voice. She looked kind of ridiculous, swaddled in Connor's oversized jacket, her nose and cheeks all red from the cold, and that look of overdramatic betrayal on her face as she pointed. If he wasn't so befuddled by her behavior, he would have smiled.

            "...Technically, yes. But I don't feel anything."

            "Still! You're affected! It's making your thermal thing act weird!"

            Connor tilted his head, confused-puppy-style. "This is a perfectly normal response to the changing environment. Androids are programmed to be able to adapt to a variety of cirumstan—?!"

            He cut himself off mid-explanation as her arms wrapped around him without warning, her smaller body pressing against his side. Warmth seeped into his artificial skin.  
  


_WARNING: THIRIUM PUMP CONTRACTING AT AN INCREASED RATE._   
  


             His LED flashed yellow.

            "Detective?"

            Eve peeked up at him. The look in her eyes was a mixture of playfulness, affection, and something else he couldn't quite define.

            "Hey, you gave me your jacket to keep me warm, so let me keep you warm. Sharing body heat helps."

            "....That's entirely unnecessary, Detective," Connor replied in complete and utter confusion. "I'm not in any sort of danger."

            "Too bad. I'm going to help you stay warm anyway."

            Connor wasn't sure what was more baffling: the fact that she was concerned about him being cold, or the way that her soft arms wrapped around his middle was making him feel. He was getting better at understanding his own emotions since he deviated. He could recognize when he felt happy, sad, angry, or afraid. But this? He had no idea what this was.

            His pump beating at a much faster rate than his regulator was supposed to allow. His sudden inability to process information about the world around him. His stomach (or rather the place where his stomach would be) feeling strangely warm and fluttery, a warmth that had nothing to do with the state of his outside environment, or even the temperature inside his own body. Connor couldn't feel hot or cold, but his touch sensors could pick up the temperature of things, like the heat of a human's skin. Now he was feeling that sensation of warmth _inside_ him, and it was one of the oddest things he'd ever experienced.

            Eventually, he managed to recalibrate his central processing unit enough to find words, pushing through the strange new emotions inside him. "...If you insist. At least my elevated temperature will help you as well. Cooler temperatures cause a more sluggish immune system response and a higher susceptibility to infection. I don't want you to get sick."

            Eve grinned. "Connor, you can be a real mother hen sometimes."

            "A... what?" he asked with furrowed brows, unable to comprehend the strange metaphor. Why on earth was she comparing him to a female chicken?

            She just snorted a laugh, and replied "Never mind," nuzzling in closer to his side.

            After a pause, Connor let it go, and looked up towards the winter-greyed sky. Eve was right; this truly was a beautiful season. But then, Connor thought most things in life were beautiful. He had access to a database with all of the information in the world; there was nothing he didn't know about. _Winter_ — _the coldest season of the year, in the northern hemisphere from December to February and in the southern hemisphere from June to August. Snow_ — _atmospheric water vapor frozen into ice crystals and falling in light white flakes or lying on the ground as a white layer._ But experiencing these things in person was so very different. Connor could research everything about the winter season, its typical weather patterns, human traditions such as snowboarding, the holidays... but he would never truly understand what winter was until he was out standing in the midst of a snow-covered landscape, watching a single flake float slowly down from the sky above to land on Eve's nose.

            His arms slowly shifted around her waist. He wondered if she could feel the pounding of his Thirium pump against his chest cavity.

            "Lieutenant Anderson should have been here by now..." he commented. "The snow and ice on the roads are probably slowing him down." Unable to contain his worry, his LED spun yellow for a moment as he checked the DPD's database for any recently reported car accidents. None found.

            "You live with him, don't you?" Eve asked, breaking him from his troubled thoughts.

            "With the Lieutenant? Yes, I do. He offered to take me in as property rights for androids are still being worked out."

            Eve paused, looking thoughtful. "Can I ask you something, Connor?"

            "Of course."

            "Why do you still call Hank _Lieutenant Anderson?_ I understand more why you call me _Detective,_ but isn't he, like, your dad? I hear him callin' you _son._ "

            For a moment, Connor felt sheepish. She was right. Families didn't call each other by their formal title. But, then again, it wasn't as though Connor always called him _Lieutenant_. Especially when he was talking to the man himself, he had begun calling him _Hank_ more and more frequently, as their relationship started to shift away from a police lieutenant and his android partner to a father and son. Still, and perhaps this was a result leftover from being programmed to obey and respect humans, Connor preferred to use Hank's ranked title when speaking about him, purely out of reverence.

            Deciding to voice these thoughts, he answered, "I suppose... it's about respect. I respect him greatly. If it wasn't for him, I may not have ever deviated. He helped me see that androids are living beings."

            A scene from long ago was pulled suddenly and unexpectedly from his memory banks, Hank looking at him with his gentle blue eyes and saying, with a strange sort of paternal affection, _You showed empathy, Connor. Empathy is a human emotion._

            "...He helped me see that _I_ am a living being."

            "I haven't been at this precinct for long," Eve said quietly, her eyes all softness and light, "but I've heard about his vehement hatred of androids. You've gotta be really special, Connor, to change someone in such a drastic way."

            Connor wasn't sure how to respond for a moment, his processors stalling. This was another new emotion. It was giving him the strange urge to pull the collar of his button-up over his face and hide.

            Finally, he spoke again, eyes growing distant as he thought of his human partner. "Lieutenant Anderson was... hurting. Hurting for so many years. He never truly hated androids, not in the way that other people do. He simply didn't understand. He didn't know. And when the revolution began, it showed him that androids weren't worth the hatred he was harboring for them."

            Connor's brown irises rose to meet the sky.

            "Lieutenant Anderson is a great man. Regardless of whether or not I was his partner, he would've come around."

            Eve looked unconvinced. "Would've come around enough to let an android into his home? To treat an android like his son?"

            Connor's eyes flicked back to her face. He took in a breath as if he were about to speak, but then remained silent, not really having a solid comeback to that question.

            "Maybe the revolution did help change his perspective. But you being his partner made it so much more personal. You showed him firsthand how human you really are. Hank doesn't just tolerate androids now. He sees them as equals. And that's because of you." Her forehead pressed gently into his shoulder, and he was almost certain he felt his Thirium pump stutter. "You did that, Connor."

            "...Detective..." he breathed, surprising himself with the warmth of his own voice. This woman... saw him as something so incredible. Something so _human._ It was the scariest and most exhilarating thing he'd ever experienced, save for first becoming a deviant.

            "...I really like you, Connor."

            The words blurted suddenly from Evelyn's mouth, and immediately she looked shocked and mildly horrified at herself, cheeks flaring pink. Connor's head tilted curiously, his LED spinning a perplexed yellow. Why did she have that look on her face, after such a harmless statement?

            And then, the shock and uncertainty on her face gave way to a sort of cautious determination. "You're more empathetic than a lot of humans I know. I hope you don't ever doubt again that you're more than a machine. You have a soul, and it's one of the most beautiful souls I've ever met."

            Connor officially had no idea what the hell was happening right now.

            "I... like you too, Detective Evelyn," he responded, his tone equally as cautious, speaking slowly. "A lot. But... you didn't have to tell me that. I could always tell that you're genuinely accepting of androids—accepting of _me._ And I appreciate that. I... really do."

            Now _she_ looked confused. Connor stared at her awkwardly, wishing he was better at reading people. One of the core functions he'd been programmed with was being a negotiator, for God's sake, there was no reason he should be this bad at social interaction.

            However, what was even more concerning than her confusion, was the realization that came a few seconds afterwards. He could see the understanding flash across her face, but he didn't know what was being understood. It was all so _strange._

            He was just considering speaking up, maybe asking her what exactly was on her mind, when suddenly she pushed herself up on the tips of her toes with that determined look on her face, and their lips met.

            Connor tensed, freezing in place. This... this was a kiss. She was kissing him. Was she kissing him?  
  


  _Search term: kiss_

_touch with the lips as a sign of love, sexual desire, reverence, or greeting._   
  


            This was definitely a kiss.

            _Why_ was she kissing him?

            ...Did he want her to stop?  
  


_WARNING: THIRIUM PUMP CONTRACTING AT AN INCREASED RATE._

_WARNING: CORE TEMPERATURE RISING._   
  


            Connor's LED was flashing bright red, eyes wide, body still as a statue. She looked... ethereal, her eyes gently closed, her face so close he could see every individual strand of hair on her head, every snowflake clinging to her toboggan, melting on her skin. His touch receptors picked up the softness and warmth of her lips.

            Before he had a chance to snap himself out of his shell-shocked state, she was pulling away, and it left him with an odd feeling of... emptiness.

            He stared blankly at her, watching as she grinned somewhat nervously. She seemed to be waiting for him to say something. So, he decided to start with his first, and most logical, question.

            "Did you just kiss me?"

            Her response was to burst into laughter, and Connor started. That was extremely unexpected. Humans truly were so unpredictable. Somewhere in the back of his mind palace, the thought _she has a beautiful laugh_ floated across his consciousness.

            "Yeah, Connor," Eve finally answered, still chuckling. It was a fond sort of laughter, not malicious. He didn't feel as though he was being made fun of. "I kissed you."

            The android blinked rapidly, his LED still pulsing red, vaguely aware that his stress levels were at 50%. The sweet smile fell from her lips (he immediately wanted it back) and a deeply earnest look appeared in her eyes instead.

            "Connor. If you don't feel the same way, you can just say—"

            "No!" he blurted, surprising himself, and surprising Eve too given her expression. "No, that's—that's not it. I... I just..."

            Words failed him, and he grimaced in embarrassment— _that's_ what that new feeling was earlier, wasn't it?—at his own speechlessness. He began to feel a sensation of heat rising on his cheeks, which was incredibly odd. He wasn't touching anything warm, the receptors on his face shouldn't be picking up heat...

            "Are you blushing?" Eve asked suddenly. She was grinning again, revealing straight white teeth.

            Connor furrowed his brows. Running another self-diagnostic, he found that there was increased Thirium circulation towards his face.

            _...Shit._

            "N—no," he denied, resisting the urge to cover his cheeks with his hands. To his horror, the hot sensation just intensified as he became more flustered.

            She didn't buy his denial for a second. "Androids blush blue! I didn't know that. It makes sense though, since your blood is blue."

            "I'm not blushing!"

            "You are too."

            "A-androids can't blush," Connor insisted, lying through his teeth.

            She didn't buy that either. "You're a dirty liar."

            Connor's jaw worked, but no sound came out, as he failed to come up with an explanation for his blue cheeks. Eve just cracked up again, laughing so hard she looked like she might break a rib.

            A soft huff of annoyance left him, though if he was being honest with himself, he wasn't actually annoyed in the slightest. "Detective," he scolded.

            Eve had one hand curled into a fist and was giggling behind it, and it was the very definition of cute. A much more accurate definition than anything in his database could provide.

            "Sorry," she giggled. She didn't sound apologetic in the slightest, and her next sentence confirmed it. "Not really sorry. You're adorable, Connor."

            Connor heaved a sigh and reached up to fix his tie, feeling disheveled. Finally, his LED cycled back to yellow as his stress levels began to drop.

            _...I think..._

_...I think I want to kiss her back._

His words were hesitant and fumbling when they finally came out. "...Can I... Can I kiss you back?"

            A look of mingled delight and relief crossed her face, and her left hand reached up, gripping his tie and tugging him down to her eyelevel.

            "Obviously, you idiot," she replied, a gentle tease. "Go ahead."

            For some reason, Connor found himself taking in a deep breath, as if he actually needed the oxygen. Slowly, he let his head tilt forward, dismissing the various warnings in his visual field about his racing Thirium pump. Their lips touched for a second time, the contact sending sparks throughout his systems. He felt positively _electrified._

            He pulled the definition of _kiss_ again from his previous search, processing the words. _Touch with the lips as a sign of love, sexual desire, reverence, or greeting._

            Is that what this new feeling was, this feeling that he hadn't been able to describe?

            ...Love?

            Warm breath brushed across his lips as she sighed, and he registered the feeling of her hand on his cheek. His LED spun back to blue, stress levels plummeting. This was frightening, how intense this new emotion was, but he decided it wasn't a bad thing. Not at all. He lifted his hands ever so slowly, settling them on her shoulders, gently pulling her closer.

            He found he knew instinctively when it was time to pull away, parting his lips from hers rather reluctantly. His chocolate eyes fluttered open, and found himself staring deep into her icy-blues.

            Connor was annoyed with himself when he realized he was still completely and utterly speechless. But they didn't seem to need words, really. The silence between them was a peaceful one, each beat of his artificial heart pumping intense feeling through his body. Joy, and affection, and tranquility, and _love._

            Connor had accepted his deviancy long ago, but even still, he'd always doubted whether he actually had the capacity for love. It was a deep-rooted fear within him, fear that he wouldn't ever be truly human, wouldn't ever know what it was like to _feel_ the way that other deviants around him seemed to.

            That fear was lifted from his shoulders now, and Connor felt free.

            "So," the human finally broke the silence, "should I write my number down for you, or will you store it in your memory if I just say it out loud?"

            That right there was probably the closest Connor had ever come to laughing out loud. As it was, he grinned from ear to ear.

            "Eve, you're... the most extraordinary human I've ever met," he told her, with every ounce of honesty in his body. "Human _or_ android, for that matter."

            She smiled, and Connor decided that her smile was the single most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his short lifetime. More beautiful than the snow, or a sunny blue sky, or the city lit up at night.

            "I feel the same way about you, you adorable dork."

            "I'll admit I don't understand what you're finding 'adorable' about me, but I guess that doesn't matter."

            "You can be such a smartass sometimes."

            Connor smiled. "Not the first time I've been told that."

            "Hey!" The sound of Hank's voice registered in Connor's audio processor, and the android turned to look in a mixture of surprise and chagrin. "You lovebirds done yet?"

            "L-Lieutenant," Connor stammered, praying silently that Hank hadn't seen their private moment. Despite being distracted by embarrassment, Connor did take note of how much better Hank looked. A quick scan confirmed it; his fever had broken, and relief bubbled underneath the mortification. "How... how long have you been here?"

            "Like ten minutes. Didn't want to interrupt you, you two looked so damn cozy huddled up together. Buuuut, if you're done makin' out, we really oughta get home before the roads get any worse."

            Connor found that he suddenly understood how humans said the phrase _"I want to die"_ even though they weren't actually suicidal in any way.

            "I—uh—yes, Lieutenant," he finally managed to spit out. Turning back to Eve, who looked not at all as flustered as he did and thoroughly amused by his reactions, he said a quick goodbye. "H-have a good evening, Detective Evelyn."

            Struggling to regain his composure, he took a step away from the female detective, intending to make his way towards Hank's vehicle, before he suddenly heard Eve call out to him.

            "Connor, wait!"

            He turned, raising his eyebrows.

            "335-6582," she said, a smirk on her lips.

            Connor found himself stifling a chuckle, some of the embarrassment that he'd felt evaporating away. It was difficult to feel anything negative when he was looking at her face, her smile. "Got it."

            With a final wave goodbye, the android turned back around, heading for the car with Hank close behind him. He could vaguely hear the lieutenant chuckling, but he found that his self-consciousness had fled, his processors focused instead on how Evelyn's lips had felt against his own, remembering the feel of her hand on his cheek.

            Connor had never thought much about the act of kissing before. But, now, he decided that he enjoyed it... a whole lot.

            _Search term: How to court a woman..._


End file.
